From February till June 2022 the training for social workers on people with disabilities and the labour market took place in Kurzeme.

 

80 social workers and representatives from NGOs working with the disabled participated in the two days’ training course led by the Liepāja Society of the Blind. The first day took place online via Zoom in 4 groups and focused on emotional intelligence, i.e. stereotypes and prejudice on how people with disabilities are perceived in the society and ways for overcoming those, recommendations on how to better communicate with people with functional disabilities and cooperation between the different institutions and organisations involved.

 

For the second training day the participants arrived in two groups to Ziemupe, the rehabilitation centre “Dvēseles veldzes dārzs” ran by the Liepāja Society of the Blind, where learned on legislation related to accessibility, specifics in hiring the disabled and particiated in the practical training on universal design principles. The most exciting was the closing part of the training, where participants put themselves in the skin of the blind, by going on the special trail with eyes closed and trying to comprehend the environment through other senses – touch, taste, smell, hearing.